Parents today have a great variety of toys they can purchase for their children. One of the factors parents may consider when deciding what toy to buy is how long their children may play with the toy before losing interest in it. Another factor parents may consider is whether the toy will help in the development of their children's motor skills or learning ability. Recognizing the importance parents place on these factors, toy manufacturers are constantly working to develop new toys that are either fun to play with or help in childhood development, or both.
However, since every child has his own unique combination of physical and mental development, personality, and interests, he is prone to quickly lose interest in any one toy for a variety of reasons. For instance, some children may have less fun with a toy once they understand how it works. As its operation or outcome becomes routine or well understood, the toy no longer presents a challenge or holds excitement for the child. One example of this tapering of interest is with puzzles. Once a child understands the “secret” of a puzzle and has mastered its solution (i.e., the child is both capable of understanding the secret and also has developed sufficient motor skills to perform tasks associated with the secret), the level of continued interest in the toy can drop significantly.
Conversely, some toys may have features that are too complicated for a child, and therefore also may not be as fun, educational, or helpful in child development. With each unsuccessful attempt to make a toy work, frustration levels may build until some children ultimately give up trying to play with the toy. Similarly, there may be an aspect or feature of a toy that frightens a child. Thus, some children may not enjoy or maintain interest in a toy because of an aspect or feature that is not well-matched to the child's interests, capabilities, or sensitivity.
In many cases there are several aspects of a toy that are well-matched to a child's interests and capabilities, while only a small portion or element may be too difficult, complex, or perhaps frightening. For instance, a toy having an element or feature requiring a certain level of fine motor skills may not be interesting to a child who has not yet developed the necessary skills to competently manipulate its parts. Similarly, a toy having a feature requiring memorization of a series of steps before proceeding may present too much of a challenge for some children. Unfortunately, once a child loses interest in a toy it is difficult to generate renewed interest in it later on, even though the child may have subsequently developed the skills needed to enjoy its more difficult or complicated features.